Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

[kuhio98]

When it is super duper cold (below -20), what sort of gear do you wear to stay warm? Is there fear of frostbite within minutes at certain temps? What happens when someone is out driving and the truck breaks down? Is there a need for an immediate response? I once broke down during the middle of a blizzard. While I was in the facility, the wind changed and so a lot of snow blew in and clogged some filter in the truck. I got about a mile down the road, and the truck died on me. All of our trucks are equipped with radios, so I radioed for help and they came and picked me up and towed the truck back to camp.

Here’s an example of our winter gear.


This is a wind chill chart that we go by to see how long a crew should be outside during cold weather. When it’s too cold to work safely – we stay in camp and catch up on paperwork.


This is a photo of a truck after a blizzard. It wasn’t a bad storm. Last year, we had one that completely covered the trucks. They looked like little loaves of bread sitting out in the parking lot! One time the snow blew under my truck and lived it off the ground! Seriously, it packed in there like concrete and the wheels were off the ground. Took the guys a few days to dig me out.

[kuhio98]

You have your own room? (as when I think of dorm room, I think of 4 people). Yes, I am lucky enough to have my own room. I share a bathroom and shower with the room next to me. Some people have to share a room with another person. I did that for years so I enjoy having my own room now. Shower facilities? Meals are cafeteria styled? Yep. Breakfast served from 5-7:30, Lunch from 11-12:30 and Dinner from 5-8. It’s all FREE! Do you have cable TV? Yep. Which is nice because I’m too cheap to pay for it at my house. A gym? Uh-huh. I’ve played volleyball there and walked the track, but mostly I’m a couch potato.

Dining room – No alcohol allowed. They are drinking orange soda and “near” beer.


Snack bar – popcorn machine, hot dogs, chips, soup and lots of hot chocolate and coffee.



Sorry if I am prying. All of these things (and I didn't even ask all my questions) are really interesting to me. You’re not prying. Ask away! I’ll do my best to answer.

Here are some other photos I think you might like.

This was a drill exercise with the fire fighters and rescue squad.


Caribou herd (last spring) right outside my window. They are unimpressed (and unconcerned) with our presence.


This one is funny! I wasn’t there when the photo was taken, but the guy to took it told me that a mama bear and her cubs were in the parking lot when a truck drove by. Mama shooed her babies to safety. Since there are no trees in Prudhoe, they climbed the safety ladder (on the outside of an old tank). Once the truck passed, they bawled and bawled trying to figure out how to climb down. They eventually figured it out. We call this one TEAMWORK! The bears have radio collars so that they an be tracked so we can get out of their way when they are coming through.


Hope you enjoyed the “visit” to Prudhoe Bay.

[sirrahbed]

I loved my visit to Prudhoe Lisa The everyday details and pictures are very interesting. I remember that such details of our family living on military installations used to fascinate some folks even though that is all I have ever know so it surely was not interesting to me. Thanks!!

I can see why you love Alaska and that the job is perfect for you. I also hate heat and do not tolerate it well. I loved living up in South Dakota and never really understood why most folks grumbled all the time. It is great that you are able to live in the same building where you work and that you have good amenities. Many of the things you describe remind me of military alert facilities - bet they use some of the same service contract vendors

[ramanth]

Thanks for the guided tour Lisa! Looks like a lot of fun.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Wow, how interesting! Thanks for sharing. Your job facilities look really nice- I guess since people need to be indoors so often you'd have to make it a nice place to be!

The cold seems brutal, but I honestly think the hardest thing would be all the darkness in the winter time. I spent a summer in St. Petersburg, so I've had a taste of "white nights"- they are great! But going without light in the winter would be so hard! Do you have any lights that mimic natural light?

[Lillycat]

of caribou (sp)......gosh, how many were there?.......looks like bunches.......fascinating .....i would have loved to have seen them.......and the bears......how "thinking" of them.......how brave and how cute...... to look at anyway.....thanks lisa for the visit and i would love to hear more anytime.....looks like an interesting place to be........